Accepted students shadow Choate students during Revisit Week.
On March 27, 30, and 31, Choate welcomed the families of 232 accepted students for Revisit Day. This important annual event allows prospective students to fully immerse themselves in Choate life and decide whether to #ChooseChoate after sitting in on classes and talking to faculty. Although current sophomores and juniors missed out on this opportunity due to Covid-19, freshmen and seniors may remember the rows of brightly colored national flags lining the path to Colony Hall and the air of nervous excitement during their own Revisit Days in 2022 and 2019.
Visiting families hailed from as close as Hamden, Connecticut, and as far as Singapore, representing eight countries and 22 states. However, the Admission Office made sure to also provide programming for the other approximately 100 families who were unable to make the trip to Wallingford. Virtual opportunities on Zoom included panels with current parents, Gold Key ambassadors, and other Q&A sessions. The opening performance by dance and music groups on campus as well as opening speeches from Chief Enrollment Manager Mr. Jeffrey Beaton and Head of School Dr. Alex Curtis were also livestreamed.
Each Revisit Day kicked off with families being warmly welcomed in the parking lot by the enthusiastic Boar Pen and Gold Key tour guides before being directed to registration in Colony Hall. The Jazz Combo provided some lively tunes in the lobby, and families had the chance to mingle, enjoy coffee, and take photos with Choate’s beloved wild boar mascot. In the auditorium, Mr. Beaton and Dr. Curtis gave some opening remarks, and student groups such as Step Squad and Symphony Orchestra showcased their talents for the visiting families.
Prospective students then spent the rest of the school day shadowing their hosts, who were paired with them based on shared interests. To accommodate the special programming, classes started later in the day, were shortened to 50 minutes, and ended earlier than usual. Previous revisit schedules allowed for only three class blocks, but this year’s schedule change allowed visitors to see four and get a better idea of the course offerings at Choate.
“I think our office is really great at looking at what we do and [thinking], how can we improve on it a little bit? How can we make it better? So we’re always making slight changes,” said Associate Director of Admission Ms. Cynthia Stahura. She added, “I think we’ve found a schedule that we really like and seemed pretty successful.”
The chance to host was both daunting and exciting, even for those who have experience touring prospective students. “I think I was a little nervous,” said Sophie Park ’25, a Gold Key ambassador. “Having them sit in your classes is a totally different environment.”
For other students, hosting was an opportunity to pay forward their own positive memories. “I was a new sophomore, so I had [my revisit day] last year,” said Max Lo ’25. “It was a good experience, it was why I chose Choate, and I wanted my student to have that.”
Some teachers planned their lessons to be more approachable for visitors. “Classes were shorter, so I think it really allowed them to get a glimpse of what life [at Choate] would be like,” said Park. “A lot of teachers structured their classes more towards the revisit students, like incorporating them into activities.”
At the same time, teachers also wanted to give prospective students the most genuine experience possible. “I tried to make [classes] as authentic and realistic as they would usually be,” said Math teacher Mr. Zachary Kafoglis. “I hope they get a sense of the flow of a class and what being in a classroom feels like, but also, more importantly, get a sense of who their peers would be … and hopefully, they see the type of awesome engagement and inquisitive nature that makes teaching here great.”
Students who had free blocks during the day also took the opportunity to show visitors their dorms, Lanphier cafe, and other parts of campus that were relevant to their visitor’s interests. “My student plays the tuba, so I showed him around the music building, practice rooms, and where they would put their instruments, so he could get a feel for what it would be like with the orchestra here,” said Lo.
While students got a taste of Choate classes, robust programming occupied their parents, who first heard from a community life panel and an academic panel. Representatives from the Health Center, Student Activities Center (SAC), Deans’ Office, college counseling office, signature programs, and registrar’s office shared insights and answered questions. Lunch with current Choate parents offered an informal opportunity to learn more, and the sessions ended with a residential life and day student panel for the parents of boarders and day students respectively.
At the end of the school day, visiting students reunited with their parents at the Chapel, where they heard from either the Jazz Ensemble or Chamber Choir. Newly elected student body president Amanda Benneh ’24 and Head of Student and Academic Life Ms. Jenny Elliott shared some closing remarks, and families were encouraged to visit the Community Fair. Prospective students could talk to representatives from athletic, academic, and art departments, as well as signature programs, summer programs, and a selection of student clubs.
Extensive planning behind the scenes allowed this year’s revisit programs to run smoothly. A small subgroup of the Admission Office, led by Ms. Stahura, began working in the fall and coordinated with SAGE Dining Services, facilities managers with the American Building and Maintenance Company (ABM), the Communications Office, and many other groups on campus.
“We see Revisit Days as a school-wide event where our visiting families really want to see our community. It’s the first time they get to meet many people beyond the admission office,” said Ms. Stahura. “We want to be like, ‘welcome to the rest of our community,’ she said, expressing the importance of perspective families getting to know the people that make up the Choate community. “We’re always asking families to trust their instincts and trust their gut, to look around and see if they [can] see Choate as their home, that they’d be happy here and that they’d be able to follow their interests and really be the best that they can be,” Stahura stated.
Reflecting upon his experience teaching a class with visiting students, Humanities teacher Mr. Jesse Minneman said, “I hope they notice that the students are engaged, but also that the teachers are connecting with students in meaningful ways. I think that’s really what those class visits are for, for students to sincerely see themselves in those seats and in those classrooms.”
With revisits now over, the Admission Office will have a chance to debrief on this year’s programming. “There were lots of families that we saw at the end of the day in the school store, buying a sweatshirt, which is always a great sign,” Ms. Stahura shared with a laugh. “I think I can speak for the Admission Team — revisits were a success!”
